WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that Russia will face “very severe consequences” if President Vladimir Putin fails to agree to halt the war in Ukraine after their face-to-face meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday. The remarks were delivered during an event at the Kennedy Center and mark Trump’s sharpest public ultimatum ahead of the high-stakes summit. Asked whether the penalties would involve additional sanctions or tariffs, Trump declined to specify, saying only, “I don’t have to say.” People familiar with White House deliberations told Reuters that fresh economic sanctions, including possible secondary measures against buyers of Russian energy, are being prepared should the talks produce no progress toward a cease-fire. Trump’s threat followed a virtual conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and key European leaders hosted by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. According to participants, Trump pledged to press Putin for an immediate cease-fire and affirmed that any discussion of Ukrainian territory “can only be negotiated by the Ukrainian president,” echoing comments by French President Emmanuel Macron after the call. Zelenskyy told allies that Putin is “bluffing” about seeking peace and urged tougher sanctions if Moscow rejects a truce. Russia has maintained that its war aims remain unchanged. Trump said a successful first meeting could be “quickly” followed by a second that would include Zelenskyy; otherwise, he warned, “there will be no next meeting.” The Anchorage summit will be the first in-person encounter between Trump and Putin since Trump returned to office and comes as the four-year-old conflict has cost tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions. European governments are bracing for the possibility that the talks stall and are readying additional coordinated pressure should Moscow resist a cease-fire.